Invalid-bed.



- No. 897,891. PATENTED SEPT. s, 1908.

J. HALL.

INVALID BED.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.6, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED SEPT. s, 1908.

.J. HALL. INVALID BED.

APPLIOATION FILED DEG. 6,1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NW Q UNITED STATES PATENT FFIGE.

JOHN HALL, OF NORTH MONROE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

INVALID-BED Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 8, 1908.

Original application filed September 19, 1907, Serial No. 391,971.Divided and this application filed December 6,

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, of. the United States, residing at North Monroe, inthe county of Grafton and State of New Hampshire, have invented a newand useful Invalid-Bed, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to invalid beds and is a division of anapplication filed by me on Sept. 19, 1907, Serial No. 391,971.

The principal object is to provide a bed of novel construction in whichthe patient may be moved from a reclining to a sitting position and theback held at any desired angle.

A still further object is to provide means of this character designed tobe made and sold as a distinct and separate article of manufacture to beappliedto existing bedsteads of any type.

Another object is to provide an adjustable back rest in which theadjusting means is located within the space between the rails of thebedstead in order to prevent obstructions.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction and combinations of parts which will behereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of theinvention.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bed having thepresent improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a similar view of a backrest adjusted to a position different from that disclosed in Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line a;x, Fig. 1, portions of thefabric constituting the bed bottom being removed. Fig. 4 is a verticaltransverse section on line yy, Fig. 1, the fabric and springs of the bedbottom and the end rail of the frame being removed.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 10 designates thepair of side bars and 11 the end bars of a substantially rectangularframe constituting the bed proper,

the end bars serving for the support of a necessary spring 12 which maybe of any ordinary construction, but it is preferred to employ a springof the type shown wherein the mesh is open, so that certain of theoperating members of the back rest may be readily passed through thespring.

JOHN HALL, a citizen having at one end Serial No. 405,392.

brackets 15 in which is journaled a shaft 16 a winding crank 17 and onthe shaft is a ratchet wheel 18 that is arranged to be engaged by apivotedlocking pawl 19, the pawl being under the control of a releasebar 20 having two arms 21 that are pivoted on the shaft proper, one ofthe arms being extended to form a handle 22 adjacent to the crank 17, sothat the pawls may be moved to release position from the winding end ofthe shaft.

The back rest comprises a substantially U-shaped frame 25, the side barsof which are connected to the springs by small hooks-26 which permitfree swinging of the frame in order to move the mattress up or down, andarranged between the side bars are flexible mattress supporting strips28, the lower ends of which are provided with spring engaging hooks 29,while the upper ends of said strips are connected to the cross bar ofthe frame. Secured to the lower faces of the parallel bars of the frame25 is a cross bar 30 to which are pivoted the upper ends of a pair oflinks 31 which links pass downward through the mesh of the spring. Theside rails of the bed are further provided with brackets or hangers 33carrying a transversely disposed shaft 34, to which are secured two bellcrank levers 35, each of these being preferably reinforced by a bracebar 36. The approximately horizontal arms of the bell crank levers areconnected together by a cross bar 38. The cross bar 38 is engaged byhooks 39 that are secured to the lower ends of flexible members 40 inthe form of straps, chains or the like, the upper ends of said flexiblemembers being secured to the shaft 16, so that as the shaft is turned,these flexible members will be wound thereon, and the bell crank framewill operate to elevate the back rest 25 to any desired angle, and whenthis angle is reached, the frame will be held in its adjusted positionby the pawl 19. To lower the back rest to horizontal position it ismerely to release the pawl and lower the rest by allowing the firstmovement of the winding shaft. It will be observed that all of thismechanism is carried by the bed proper, and not by the bedstead,-so thatin case of sickness, the ordinary spring bed may bedstead, and the bedThe side bars or rails 10 carry vertical forming the subject of thepresent invention substituted therefor, without the necessity ofpurchasing an entirely new bedstead 'or frame.

What is claimed is:

1. In an invalid bed, a spring structure including a spring carryingframe, an adjustable back rest connected to the spring, a shaftjournaled in bearings carried by the spring frame, hangers carried bysaid frame, a cross bar or shaft mounted in the hangers, bell cranklevers fulcrumed on said cross bar or shaft, links extending from theupper arms of the bell crank levers through the mesh of the spring andconnected to the back rest, and flexible members extending from theother arms of the bell crank levers to the shaft.

2. In an invalid bed, a spring structure including a spring carryingframe, a back rest connected to the spring, a winding shaft, bearingscarried by the spring frame and supporting said winding shaft, anoperating crank at one end of the winding shaft, a ratchet wheel on saidshaft, a pawl engaging the ratchet wheel, a pawl release bar pivotallymounted on the shaft, a second shaft mounted in hangers depending fromthe spring frame, a pair of bell crank levers on said second shaft,links connecting the upper arms of the bell crank levers to the backrest, said links extending through the mesh of the spring, and flexiblemembers extending from the lower arms of said bell crank levers to thewinding shaft.

3. In an invalid bed a spring structure including a spring supportingframe, a back rest comprising flexible members, means thereon detachablyengaging the spring, nonflexible members constituting a support for theflexible members, means upon said-nonflexible members for detachablyengaging the spring, the flexible and non-flexible members beingsupported at their lower ends solely by the spring, a winding shaft, andmeans actuated thereby for adjusting and supporting the back rest.

4. In an invalid bed, a spring structure including a spring carryingframe, hangers carried by the frame, bell crank levers pivotallysupported by the hangers, upstanding links upon the bell crank levers, aback rest pivotally mounted upon said links and including flexible andnon-flexible members, means upon each of said members for detachablyengaging the wire structure, and means mounted upon the frame foractuating the bell crank levers.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

- JOHN HALL. Witnesses:

JAMEs G. PEABODY,

JENNETTE W. PEABODY.

